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EXCLUSIVE… MORTIER TO K STREET: House Energy and Commerce Committee aide Jeff Mortier, is joining Ryan, MacKinnon, Vasapoli and Berzok. Mortier joined E&C in January after five years on Rep. Ed Whitfield's (R-Ky.) staff, where he most recently served as a senior policy adviser focused on health care and telecom policy. Under E&C Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Mortier served as a liaison to member offices on the E&C panel, helped assist and organize the committee's 2011 agenda, among other initiatives.

Senior Republican Principal Jeff MacKinnon said of the hire: "Jeff Mortier is a top-flight professional with a sterling reputation and a solid record of accomplishment. He has earned the universal respect of members and staff, as well as the private sector, for his legislative skills and political acumen."

The addition is the first hire for the six-person Ryan MacKinnon firm since January 2009. The firm counts Accenture, Altria, Centerpoint Energy, Edison Electric Institute and Entergy Corp., among its clients.

FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES PUSH BACK AGAINST CUMMINGS'S INVESTIGATION: The Coalition for Education Success — a group set up by for-profit colleges — is taking House Oversight and Government Reform ranking member Elijah Cummings's (D-Md.) investigation into for-profit colleges head on. The coalition's Penny Lee, whose full-time gig is at Venn Strategies, told PI that the Maryland Democrat should examine "issues across all of higher education and work with all schools to improve outcomes” and shouldn’t “limit his inquiry to a single sector." Three months ago the for-profit schools created a foundation that set new industry standards, a move they hoped would get the Obama administration and Congress to back off more Education Department regulations. Tim Hannegan of Wexler Walker & Associates serves as the coalition's outside lobbyist.

'TIS THE SEASON FOR 2012 FUNDRAISING TRIPS? The holiday party circuit is still in full swing, but fundraisers are already in 2012 planning mode, sending out lists of next year's fundraising trips. One email, obtained by POLITICO listed nearly 20 GOP Senate and House members upcoming trips. A few that caught PI's eye include: Rep. Tim Murphy's (R-Pa.) August 2012 fundraiser at Latrobe golf course with special guest Arnold Palmer; Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-S.C.) golf getaways in April at Kiawah Island, S.C., and an October golf outing at Kinloch in Richmond, Va; and Rep. Marsha Blackburn's(R-Tenn.) Mississippi spa weekend in February at Viking Cooking School and a Nashville music weekend with a date still to be announced. Of course, they all come with a cost — generally around $1,000 to $2,500.

DUANE MORRIS ADDS TO PORTFOLIO: Philadelphia-based Duane Morris Government Affairs LLC and Pittsburgh-based GSP Consulting are combining to create Duane Morris Government Strategies LLC, effective Jan. 1. The new entity “will offer a full range of government relations and public affairs services,” including lobbying, grass-roots campaigning and community outreach. The practice “will comprise more than 30 experienced professionals representing clients at the federal, state and local levels and will operate in nine offices across five states and the District of Columbia,” Duane Morris LLP said in a statement. Joseph Kuklis, Eric Martins and Amy Kaminski will lead Duane Morris Government Strategies LLC. The firm will operate as an ancillary business of law firm Duane Morris LLP.

GOOD MONDAY AFTERNOON! We hope you had a fabulous weekend. PI, for one, had a star-studded couple of days off with Anna spotting Conan O'Brien heading into dinner Friday at Bourbon Steak followed by a very handsy Gary Busey photo-op at Ron Bonjean and Sara Bonjean's holiday party Saturday evening. Forward along any intel, gossip and all the rest as you get ready for the week. Our emails, as always are apalmer@politico.com and dlevinthal@politico.com. If you don't already, follow us on Twitter at @davelevinthal and @apalmerdc.

And, now, back to the show.

BROWNSTEIN, HYATT HOSTS UDALL: Law and lobby firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (1350 I St. NW in D.C.) will play host to a lunchtime fundraiser on Wednesday for Sen. MarkUdall (D-Colo.). Political action committee hosts are asked to pony up $5,000 and PAC attendees $2,500. Individual hosts will pay $2,500, individual attendees $1,000. Firm policy directors Elizabeth Gore and Michael Levy and shareholders Al Mottur and Manny Ortiz are listed on an invitation as hosting the event.

GIBRALTAR ADDS McSHERRY: Communications firm Gibraltar Associates has added Ali McSherry as manager. McSherry will be doing public affairs and public relations out of the firm's D.C. office.

BACHMANN ADJUSTS NUMBERS DOWN: Presidential candidate and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) overstated her campaign committee cash on hand by $41,169 during the year’s first quarter, it told the Federal Election Commission today in response to questions from the commission. The error is the result of an “erroneous duplicate deposit,” committee treasurer Thomas C. Datwyler wrote to the FEC. The Bachmann campaign today amended its records accordingly.

IS SEVERANCE PAYMENT A CAMPAIGN DONATION? A New Mexico-based nonprofit group is asking the Federal Election Commission whether a severance payment to its former executive director might be considered a campaign donation. That’s because Eric Griego, New Mexico Voices for Children’s former boss, left in October to run for Congress. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the group is prohibited from supporting candidates for office. New Mexico Voices for Children representative Sara Berger explains in an advisory opinion request that “in the interest of transparency and to ensure compliance with federal law” it is withholding a severance payment to Griego until such payment “will not be deemed a contribution to his campaign.” The FEC is likely to rule on the matter within weeks.

RILA PATS ITSELF ON THE BACK: Retail Industry Leaders Association's Katherine Lugar sent out an email note to members — giving a shout-out to the top five wins in 2011 for the retail industry. Interchange legislation topped the list followed by "Amazon Forced to Collect Sales Tax in Several States; Federal Solution Imminent" and trade agenda and "Workforce Fairness Prevails in the House, Activist Labor Board Takes a Hit." RILA's effort on lobbying the health care reform rulemaking rounds out to the top five.

RYAN'S STILL GOT HOPE: McDermott Will & Emery's head of government strategies Stephen Ryan has been named to the national board of directors operation HOPE.

For-profit colleges, thanks in large part to a massive lobbying blitz, have successfully watered down new federal rules governing their activity. Eric Lichtblau of TheNew York Times reports: nyti.ms/siPyb4

The Center for Public Integrity’s R. Jeffrey Smith, whose reporting on Jack Abramoff as a Washington Post staffer earned him a Pulitzer Prize, takes on Abramoff’s new book: wapo.st/rqs8oH

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts has been absorbing a barrage of hits from well-funded special interests. The Center for Responsive Politics’s Michael Beckel tracks who’s fueling them: bit.ly/sIjp7e

AT&T, one of the nation’s most powerful lobbies that almost always gets its way, hit an unexpected roadblock this year. The Washington Post’s Cecilia Kang and Jia Lynn Yang dissect the development: wapo.st/tAlkOM